DAY 5: THE EXPANSION

Ok, let’s recap:

We learned to identify the ego and more about its purpose.

We became familiar recognizing it and how it gets activated

We discovered what are the methods it uses to keep us in THE BOX

We understand why it resists and what the qualities we cultivate to help with non resistance.

Now, we need to keep going within and expand!

Beyond the box

Like, I talked about before in the resistance, it’s normal and will be normal to feel a little ungrounding, confused in the beginning of this journey. I repeat this because is important for us to have this reminder every time things will get a little rockier and THE EGO will immediately want to put us inside THE BOX again for safety, for survival, for fear.

When we step beyond THE BOX we need to have in mind that we are stepping into the unknown. This is new. The unknown can be a scary place for a lot of us, especially when THE EGO has been in control for so long. However, the unknown can be simplified if we think of it as the present moment.

Before, THE EGO with the support of our subconscious level, put us in a state of habitual stories and beliefs, of constantly labeling everything, everyone and everything around us, keeping things in a certain order inside THE BOX so we can have the illusion of feeling right, feeling secure, of feeling validated - utilizing the methods (we discussed on day 3) to continue bringing this illusion.

Now, when the Self steps out of THE BOX there are no needs of definitions, no story to hold on to, no need to be right and to always make a point about everything. There’s no need to be commenting and emiting opinions about everyone,, about our relatives, about that difficult person at work, about ourselves. This can be scary for us, for our human nature, for the mind which clings to the mental thinking.

But, once you are aware of it, it no longer holds the power, it no longer controls, it no longer keeps you inside, limited, small. You are free to step out, to step into your power, to step into your true nature, to get closer and closer to your true Self.

You feel a sense of connection.

You can then hear much more your inner guidance, your intuition.

You are flowing with life.

You are flowing with the present moment without the resistance of wishing it to be different.

You are focusing your energy on discovering the unknown

You are no longer wasting energy holding on to the weight that carries all the stories and the beliefs because of you identification.

You are so centered in you that you are facing life with a perspective of abundance and not of lack.

You are not in a state of contraction.

You are in a state of expansion.

Contraction x Expansion

Let’s remember the spectrum of our consciousness levels. When we explored this on day 1, I explained about the 3 levels and where the EGO hangs out: the subconscious and conscious state. When we are aware of this spectrum, we can realize quickly where we are standing and this information is gold.

There’s a difference when we are aware of where we are, even if it’s in the subconscious state. It’s completely different when we know we are standing there as opposed not knowing, the recognition comes from the awareness and from the perception of your ground in the spectrum.

This is where it gets fun. Once you understand where you are, it’s easier to choose to move from it. You can choose to stay on that level or you can actively decide to move from it. Before you have no idea where you were standing, it was just a overwhelming feeling of being block, stuck in habitual patterns.

What contraction and expansion has to do with this?

To help us think in a more practical way about this spectrum

Thinking about the spectrum, about where we are standing can be really helpful. We can apply it to every choice, action and thought, guiding us to awaken and move away from contraction. It also really helpful when we can recognize this in others, that they are also standing in different parts of their spectrum and they might not be fully aware of it.

Affirmation

Affirmations are great tool to help us change our state of consciousness and bring awareness. You can use every this affirmation everytime you do the work of active observation and recognition, to help bring you to the present moment.

Ex: I recognize I felt fear, I now decide to let it go and feel confidence.

Practice

We are going to end the workshop with a traditional sitting meditation practice (it’s not the complete technique with the mantra, that I teach every month) but this guided meditation will give you some basics to establish a sitting practice (if you don’t have one yet). This practice will support you in your process of awareness, of going deeper into your stillness. In the beginning of the practice we do a few rounds of breathing exercises:

Breath

Tense/Relax

Double inhale through your nose (one short followed by one long inhalation)

Hold

Double exhale through your mouth (one short followed by one long exhalation)